Bon Voyage - sail7seas

[Krazy Kruizers]

I know your Big Band cruise doesn't start until Oct 26 and I know that you always fly down to Ft Lauderdale 2 or 3 days early, so I just wanted to make certain that you get your farewll greeeting before you leave. Have a safe flight and a wonderful cruise.

Bon Voyage sail7seas!!!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail, I do hope you and DH have a wonderful cruise. I especially hope that you have safe travels to and from especially with the problems Wilma could cause. I hope depsite everything it is a wonderful vacation. I am looking forward to hearing all about it when you return.:)

 

Bon Voyage !!!!!

[localady]

Bon Voyage S7S!!!:D

May your cruise be wonderful, with calm seas, blue skies and no Wilma!!:cool:

[jhannah]

Bon voyage! Smooth sailing!

[Sage]

Sail,

 

I hope that you have a wonderful time on my favorite ship. May you have calm seas.

[babyher]

Hi Sail :)

 

 

Hope you and DH have a great time and a safe trip.

 

Enjoy:)

[sail7seas]

Thank you so much, everyone.

 

Seems as though Wilma doesn't want to let us know just when we are going. DH, being one who leaves nothing to chance, has tickets for Monday, Tuesday and we have an AA reservation for Wednesday. I just spoke with our car company and the fabulous, wonderful, great owner said all he needs is an hour's notice and whenever we want to go to the airport, he'll get us there.

 

All other plans are in place,

 

We've been e-mailing with the ship and are eager to see them all.

 

So.....I am just about all packed and the house is in order. All plans are made and (hopefully) we shall be on one of those flights!!!

 

Now........let's hope VODM stays safe and comes in Port Everglades as scheduled.

 

[The most incredible thing about this cruise is that when I made final payment, I bought CSA Insurance. I have posted here any number of times that we NEVER buy insurance and that is a fact. At the time we made final payment, we were in the process of booking another cruise on Maasdam to travel with good friends of ours. She always insures their trips and wanted me to research for her which insurance she should buy and when. I found this particular CSA policy which allows for writing it at the time of final payment and it will cover for pre-existing conditions. Because I spent so much time researching for her and thought the terms of that policy to be excellent, I said....what the 'hay'.....I may as well book it for us seeing as I have had some health issues. I promise that for AT LEAST our last 45 cruises, I have not booked insurance. This cruise in insured!!! Amazing, isn't it!!!?]

[RuthC]

With all that planning you absolutely must be rewarded with a relaxing cruise.

Bon Voyage.

(Oh, and see if you can insure that Wilma doesn't head to New England, either. Thanks)

[babyher]

Sail,

 

Hope that all goes well and that you have smooth sailing:).

 

Sounds like you have all the bases covered so everything should work out well.

 

I am relatively new here so this is the first I am aware that you have never gotten insurance. I have to admit I am surprised.

 

Since I have been on these boards, two things that almost everyone agrees on is 1) fly in at least a day before the cruise, and 2) buy insurance.

 

Having cruised so many times and always in the high end suites, I am just surprised you have never purchased insurance as that would be a pretty big hit financially if God forbid you ever had to miss a cruise last minute.

 

Hope that everything turns out well and you and DH have a great time :)

[sail7seas]

Thanks for your good wishes, Babyher. We're remaining optimistic but, what will be, will be.

 

The reason we do not buy insurance (and very few agree with us....)is:

 

We have AmEx Platinum which includes in its list of offerings for cardholders, Emergency Medical Evacuation from anywhere in the world including from aboard a cruiseship. That is hugely expensive in the (most unhappy) event that should ever be needed.

We don't care about luggage insurance or trip delay. We wouldn't insure just to get that.

 

We cruise so much that we made a concious choice to take a chance many years ago. If the premiums to insure our cruises ran in the range of $800 or so, it wouldn't take many cruises for that to total a very tidy sum. (We always fly first class [if it is available on the flight we are taking] so air tickets are refundable.) In five cruises, the premiums would total $4,000. At the time we made this decision, we could cruise ten days in our "S" for that money. After five cruises, we were at the break even point. After that, if we should have to cancel our cruise, we would still be ahead of the game forfitting our money in place of all the premiums we would have paid.

 

After 45+ cruises, not having paid all those premiums, we'd have to cancel a number of cruises to be in the negative range.

 

The biggest thing we worried about was an emergency medical event. Our regular health insurance pays for treatments received outside our home area as well as internationally.

 

We take the chance and we 'self-insure'. This does not sit well with everyone but for us........45 x how many dollars each premium (predicated upon the price of our cruise) = a lot of $$

[babyher]

I see your point now that you have explained. Yes it would add up to a pretty good sum with all your cruises.

 

Also not having a Platinum AMEX, I didn't know they covered medical EVAC. Which is certainly an excellent feature to have.

 

Since you said that medical emergencies are really your biggest concern on a trip and you seem to have all the bases covered there with your personal insurance and AMEX I can see you not taking out travel insurance.

 

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I didn't mean to sound nosy. I was just surprised one of the most seasoned cruisers here didn't take out insurance when "Buy Travel Insurance" is almost a mantra to many on these boards :)

 

Thanks again and have a great trip

[sail7seas]

Babyher....Ask anything; anytime. No one is obliged to answer any question to which they don't want to respond. I don't think it was nosy at all but rather a very reasonable question.

 

I agree that buying insurance is very sensible. I'd never advise against it and you were sharp to pick up on that message early in your cruising career.

 

We started early in our cruising to be booking multiple cruises at a time. When we 'dove in', we dove in with a big splash. When we started to compute how much the insurance was, we got sick of premiums. LIke everyone, we all have so much insurance in our lives: auto, homeowners, medical, umbrella policies, office insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, professional insurance, etc ad nauseum. We said NO MORE....no more premiums. :)

 

We were willing to take the chance on the first several cruises. Like I said, once we got past cruise four or five or so.....we were at break even. Now we are miles ahead. Sure....we'd hate to lose the full cost of a cruise. But, the numbers still work in our favor.

 

Each person decides for themselves what works best; what their comfort level is.

 

I just found such an irony that THIS cruise....out of this long pattern of cruises........this cruise we insured. Maybe it was a premonition or such??? :)

 

[BEAV]

we have an AA reservation for Wednesday.

 

You're the LAST person I'd expect to meet at an AA function! LOL !! :D

 

But, seriously, have a great cruise. And thanks for telling your "no insurance for us" story. We pretty much feel the same way for the same reasons you stated. Yes, someday we may get 'burned', but as you state, it's a personal decision. We're approaching cruise #40 and have funded a few by not taking the insurance. If we were to take a lengthy voyage (I'm talking 21 days plus here) we would seriously consider insurance due to the larger cost of our "investment". But for a standard 7-14 day cruise, no thank you!

[Krazy Kruizers]

There was a time when we didn't buy cruise insurance either. Then DH had a stroke. Then we retired and insurance plans changed. So we began to buy the insurance. Then DH had a heart attack. A couple of years later we had a death in the family not too many days before a cruise. Boy were we glad that we had the insurance.

[sail7seas]

There was a time when we didn't buy cruise insurance either. Then DH had a stroke. Then we retired and insurance plans changed. So we began to buy the insurance. Then DH had a heart attack. A couple of years later we had a death in the family not too many days before a cruise. Boy were we glad that we had the insurance.

 

Of course, I'm sorry about your DH's health issues, KK, but very happy he is able to cruise and lead the full lives you both do.

 

Your post points out all the very valid reasons for writing travel insurance. ALL EXCELLENT REASONS for it. I'd never advise against it.

 

Thank you starting this Bon Voyage for me. I really appreciate it.

Thanks for your good wishes.

[sail7seas]

You're the LAST person I'd expect to meet at an AA function! LOL !! :D

 

 

:) :) You got that part right. :) I enjoy wine but thankfully, I know when it's enough for me.

 

 

But, seriously, have a great cruise. And thanks for telling your "no insurance for us" story. quote]

 

Thanks for your good wishes, Beav. We're hoping to safely reach the ship, bound across that gangway and relax. DH needs the rest and we both need (want) the fun!!

[Ali]

I also want to wish you and R well on your upcoming cruise. Relax and enjoy (as I'm sure you will)!! I look forward to your report once you return.

 

Take care!!!

 

Ali

[babyher]

This has been a very interesting thread :0

 

it started out as a simple Bon Voyage for Sail, but has also provided a lot of food for thought on travel insurance.

 

Everyone has a very valid reason for buying or not and its simply a matter of choice or personal circumstance.

 

I can completely undertsand why Sail does not take it and I certainly understand why KK and her DH.

 

Yet another learning experience here in CC :)

 

NOW BACK ON TOPIC:

 

 

BON VOYAGE SAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *LOL*

[cruznon]

Sail,

Have a wonderful cruise...we all look forward to hearing about it when you return! Enjoy...

[Aussie Gal]

Sail

 

Hope you and your DH have a great cruise and a wonderful rest. ;) ;)

 

I also hope that Wilma ends up out to sea and completely disappears before any more damage is done. :(

Jennie

[OCruisers]

s7s .... Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[cruzbums]

Bon Voyage! Have a wonderful cruise.

[Ziggy7]

Bon Voyage S7S !!!! Have a super wonderful cruise!!! I'm keeping good thoughts for you to make your ship! blue skies and calm seas for you!!!! :)